Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 93

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1030

USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I > Part 93

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The society was reorganized in 1890, and incorporated by an act of the legislature. The charter members were Gov. Robert Low- ry, R. H. Thompson, John Hunter, A. B. Learned, W. H. Sims, T. A. McWillie, James T. Fant, R. B. Fulton, Edward Mayes and Wm. R. Sims. The first meeting was held May 1, 1890, at the Uni- versity of Mississippi, and the first officers were: Edward Mayes, president ; Wm. R. Sims, secretary and treasurer ; and R. B. Ful- ton, archivist. A meeting was held at Jackson January 7 and 8, 1898, and during that year the first publication appeared. The officers were then: Gen. Stephen D. Lee, president; Dr. R. W. Jones, vice-president ; Dr. Franklin L. Riley, secretary and trea-

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surer ; Chancellor R. B. Fulton, archivist; Dr. R. W. Jones, Prof. J. W. White, Supt. S. E. Boyd, Supt. A. A. Kincannon and Dr. Franklin L. Riley, executive committee. In 1899 the officers were the same except that Judge B. T. Kimbrough was an additional vice-president, and Profs. J. M. White, Charles Hillman Brough, W. L. Weber and J. R. Preston were members of the executive committee.

The legislature, by act of March 2, 1900, authorized the appoint- ment of an Historical Commission, to be appointed by the presi- dent of the Historical society, to make an examination of the sources and materials of the history of Mississippi, including the records of Mississippi troops, etc. President Lee appointed Dr. Franklin L. Riley, of the University, chairman ; Col. J. L. Power, Bishop Charles B. Galloway, Gerard C. Brandon and P. K. Mayers. Upon the resignation of the two latter, Prof. J. M. White and Rev. T. L. Mellen were appointed. The report of the commission, made to the legislature in 1902, is published in the Fifth volume of the society publications. Therein are noted the great purposes of the Historical society-the collection of manuscripts, the holding of annual public meetings to awaken interest in the work, the publi- cation of the most worthy contributions, the locating and catalgue- ing of historical material not in its possession, and the fostering of affiliated local organizations. Among the notable local organiza- tions are the Maurepas historical society, organized in 1898, the University historical society organized in 1897, the Pontotoc so- ciety organized in 1900, the Mississippi Baptist historical society and the Mississippi Methodist historical society.

The officers of the Historical society for 1906 are: Gen. Stephen D. Lee, president ; Dr. R. W. Jones, E. F. Noel, vice-presidents ; Chancellor R. B. Fulton, archivist; Prof. Franklin L. Riley, secre- tary and treasurer; James M. White, Bishop Charles B. Galloway, President J. R. Preston, of Stanton college, Prof. George H. Brun- son, of Mississippi college, executive committee in addition to the officers.

The society has published eight volumes of original contribu- tions to the history of Mississippi, ably edited by Secretary Riley, entitled "Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society," and frequently quoted in this work.

Hiwannee, a post-village in the northern part of Wayne county, on the Chickasawhay river, and a station on the Mobile & Ohio R. R., 10 miles north of Waynesboro, the county seat. It is a prosperous little town and has a population of 150. The Hiwannee Lumber Co.'s large plant is located here, with a daily capacity of about 70,000 feet. It is equipped with planing mills and manufac- tures its lumber ready for the builder.

Hodges, a postoffice in the northeastern part of Itawamba county, about 16 miles from Fulton, the county seat.

Hohenlinden, a hamlet in the northeastern part of Webster county, about 10 miles from Walthall, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice.

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Holcomb, an incorporated post-town of Grenada county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 9 miles west of Grenada, the county seat. It has several good general stores. The Bank of Holcomb was established in 1905, with a capital of $30,000. It has a stave factory, a saw mill, an ax-handle factory, a large Mun- ger system cotton gin, one church, a hotel and excellent schools. Its population is about 600.

Holder, a post-hamlet of Lafayette county, about 9 miles north- east of Oxford, the county seat, and nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 30.

Holladay, a hamlet of Chickasaw county, on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 3 miles north of Houston, the county seat. Population in 1900, 25. The town has rural mail service from Houston.

Hollandale, an incorporated post-town in the southern part of Washington county, 28 miles southeast of Greenville. It is a station on the lines of the Southern, and the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R's. The Bank of Hollandale was established here in 1902, with a capital of $50,000. Population in 1900, 325; estimated in 1906 to be 600. The town was named for Dr. Holland, upon whose plantation it was built. It has three churches, two white and one colored; water works and electric lights, owned by the town; a large cotton seed oil mill and gin; excellent schools, and two large cotton gins. There are lodges of Masons, Knights of Pythias and Knights of Honor.

Hollis, a post-hamlet of Calhoun county, 7 miles southeast of Pittsboro, the county seat. Population in 1900, 20.

Hollyknowe, a postoffice of Washington county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 15 miles east of Greenville.

Hollybridge, a post-hamlet of Sunflower county, located on the Southern Ry., 7 miles by rail west of Indianola, the county seat and the nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 40; population in 1906 is estimated at 100.

Holly Springs, the county seat of Marshall county, was incor- porated in 1837. Fifty acres of land were donated to the corpora- tion by the owners of the land on which the town was located, and the proceeds resulting from the sale of these lands were sufficient to erect an excellent court house and jail, and also to materially assist in the establishment of the Holly Springs Female Institute, which was successfully conducted down to the time of the war, '61-'65. From the beginning the town has been well and favorably known for the excellence of its educational advantages. Families of wealth and refinement were attracted to the locality for the purpose of educating their children, and brought with them a high standard of religious, moral and intellectual culture. In a compar- atively short period of time, the population of the town had grown to over 4,000 and its real estate was in demand at high prices. The Holly Springs Literary Institution, later known as the University of Holly Springs, was chartered in 1839, but fell far short of the university standard and was little better than a good grammar

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school. The St. Thomas Hall, a high school for boys, was estab- lished in the year 1844, by the Rev. Dr. Francis S. Hawks, of the Episcopal Church, a man of profound learning. This was a highly graded, classical school and was long celebrated for the superior educational training it provided. The town still maintains its reputation for the superior quality of its schools. It has an excel- lent public school, and is the seat of the Mississippi Synodical Col- lege, the North Mississippi Experiment Station, and of Rust Uni- versity (colored). The Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Baptists established churches here at an early day, and the Roman Catholics have built a church, which has a large member- ship.

Holly Springs has always had one or two good newspapers. The first was a Democratic paper edited by E. Percy Howe, followed by the "Conservative," a Whig paper, published by Foster & Fal- coner, which was succeeded by the "Holly Springs Gazette," pub- lished by T. A. Falconer. The first number of this paper was issued in 1841, and continued nine years. Other papers published before the War were "The Holly Springs Banner," a Whig paper conducted by George A. Wilson; "The Marshall Guard," a Dem- ocratic paper, begun in January, 1842, by Robert Josselyn; the "Weekly Jacksonian," commenced by Lloyd Selby and afterwards known as the "Marshall Jeffersonian," by Wyatt Epps ; the "Missis- sippi Palladium," a Democratic States' Rights paper, Henry Stith, editor, Thos. A. Falconer, publisher ; the "Marshall Guard," in 1851, with James W. Williams as editor; the "Mississippi Times, in April, 1853, Samuel Benton editor and W. A. Tucker publisher ; the "Democratic Banner," in June, 1853, with W. H. Govan editor ; the "Empire Democrat," in November, 1854, with J. H. R. Taylor editor. When the war began in 1861 there were three papers pub- lished here, the "Southern Herald," by Thos. A. Falconer; the "Star," by Solon L. Whittington, and the "Constitutional Union," by Upshaw & Barrett. Since the war several Radical papers were started, but soon discontinued; the "Reporter," established in 1865, C. H. Curd, editor and publisher, and the "South," estab- lished in 1869, J. B. Mattison, editor, Mrs. Ella M. Hall, publisher, are both Democratic papers, established since the war, and are now being published here.

In the fall of 1837 two unchartered banks were formed which proceeded to issue large amounts of promissory notes, based on the real estate holdings of the stockholders in the respective banks. Financial failure promptly followed this disastrous experiment, and many of the stockholders in these institutions fled to Texas to escape the results. The presidents of the two institutions, McEwen and McCorkle, gave up their property to their creditors, and preserved their reputations for integrity, if not for financial sagacity. The Northern Bank of Mississippi was chartered in 1838 at Holly Springs. Its cashier was Walter Goodman, who always maintained its credit, even during the years of general

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financial panic, though its capital was small and it never did an extensive business.

The section in which Holly Springs is located suffered greatly during the war. Grant made the town his headquarters for a time, and it was the scene of Van Dorn's historic raid on the immense stores left behind by Grant, which resulted in such severe loss to the Federals as to cause an entire change in their plan of campaign. Grant burned the old court house, and much of the city was burned by Van Dorn. Battles also took place here May 24, 1864, and August 27 and 28, 1864. The present handsome brick court house was erected soon after the close of the war. It is set in the midst of a well kept lawn, and surrounded by beautiful shade trees. The residents of the city take great pride in their fine court house square.

Most of the residences are surrounded by spacious grounds, with well kept lawns, adorned with a profusion of shrubbery and flow- ers, and with vegetable gardens attached. The streets of the city are broad and are lined with a wealth of fine shade trees. During the period of the year when the city's foliage and flowers are at their best, the city is well deserving of its name, the "City of Flowers." It is distant 45 miles from Memphis, and 200 miles from Birmingham, and is served by two lines of railway, the Illinois Central, and the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham, which cross at this point. In the vicinity are clays which will make the best of sewer pipe and paving brick, and in addition, the city now has the most extensive pottery works in the State. Holly Springs has three strong banking institutions to minister to her financial wants,-the Bank of Holly Springs, founded in 1866, with a pres- ent capital of $60,000; the Merchants & Farmers Bank, established in 1889, with a present capital of $42,750 ; the Peoples Bank, estab- lished in 1904, capital $35,000. The city is provided with an ex- cellent sewerage system, and owns and operates its electric light- ing and water works systems. The following successful industries combine to form part of its large business life : Two potteries, a large cotton-seed oil mill, a cotton compress, two gins and grist mills, an ice factory and bottling works, a steam laundry, extensive marble works, a brick plant, four hotels and three livery barns. The city does a large cotton shipping business.

Holly Springs has a city debt of $59,000; the assessed valuation of property is $739,654; the tax rate is 1212 mills, and the popula- tion in 1900 was 2,815, an increase of nearly 600 over the census for 1890; in 1906 the population was estimated at 3,500.

Holly Springs Raid, see Vicksburg, second campaign.

Hollywood, a post-village in the northern part of Tunica county, 4 miles by rail north of Tunica, the county seat. It is a thriving little station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. It is sur- rounded by a rich cotton and corn producing district, and has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 291.

Holmes County is located in the east central part of the State and was created February 19, 1833. It has a land surface of 825 square miles. It was originally part of the territory forming the

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large county of Hinds, ceded to the United States by the Choctaw Indians in the Treaty of Doak's Stand, October 18, 1820, and long known as the "New Purchase." One of the counties created out of Hinds was Yazoo, and from Yazoo county was taken the region forming the present county of Holmes. It was named in honor of Gov. David Holmes, fourth Territorial governor, first State gov- ernor, and later United States Senator for Mississippi. The original act defines its limits as follows: "Beginning at Bole's ferry, on Big Black, in the county of Yazoo, and in section 22, in township 12, and range 3 east; thence on a direct line to Yazoo river, at a point where the township line, between township 13 and 14, strikes the same; thence up said river to a point on the same, 12 miles north of the township line, between townships 15 and 16; thence on a direct line, to the corner of the old Choctaw Boundary line on Black creek, known by the name of Gum Corner; thence continu- ing the same course to Big Black; thence down the same, to the beginning." Four of the oldest settlements in Holmes county were Rankin, Montgomery, Vernon and Georgeville. All these old set- tlements are now extinct. Tradition recites that Mr. Etho Beall, a justice of the peace, held at Rankin, under the protection of a gun, the first county court. Rankin was located about five miles from Tchula, and aspired at first to be the seat of justice of the new county. Capt. Parrisot, father of Capt. S. H. Parrisot, and father-in-law of F. Barksdale, of Yazoo City, settled near here in 1828, and kept a hotel in Rankin until 1834. Wm. Mclellan came from Biloxi in 1826 and settled on Little Black creek on the east side. Montgomery (inc. 1836) was on the west bank of Big Black river at Pickens Ferry. Vernon was once a thriving town about 12 miles north of Lexington. Georgeville was situated in the northwest quarter of S. 35, T. 14, R. 3 east. Holmes county is bounded on the north by Carroll county, on the east by the Big Black river, which divides it from the counties of Attala and Mad- ison ; on the south by Yazoo county and on the west by the Yazoo river, dividing it from the counties of Washington and Leflore. The county seat is located at Lexington near the center of the county on a branch of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. run- ning to Durant. It is a prosperous town of about 2,000 people, situated in the midst of a fine farming region, and is a shipping point for large quantities of small fruits. The largest and most important town is Durant on the Illinois Central R. R. at the junc- tion of its branches to Tchula and Aberdeen. It is a growing town of 2,300 people and ships immense quantities of strawberries and market garden products to the northern markets. The country about it is rich and fertile and Durant is an important trade center for the region. Three miles west of here is the Castalian mineral spring, which is a noted watering resort and very well patronized by those seeking restoration to health. Goodman, Pickens, Howard, Tchula, West, Thornton, Mileston, and Beelake are some of the other railroad towns of more or less importance. Scattered over the county are the villages of Richland, Bowling Green, Ebenezer,

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Acona and Eulogy. In the early days of the county when it was sparsely settled, crime was prevalent in the region, and several notorious robbers and counterfeiters, belonging to the much feared "Murrell clan," were captured at Tchula, severely punished and driven from the country. Among some of the names identified with the early history of the county may be mentioned Nathaniel E. Rives, Archibald H. Paxton, W. T. Land, Dr. Garret Keirn, Robert Cook, James R. Enloe, James M. Dyer, John W. Dyer, John W. Anderson, Israel W. Pickens, W. W. George, Dr. Frances R. Cheat- ham, Dr. Ira S. Mitchell, Joseph R. Plummer, Alexander Magee, Vincent H. Carraway, William H. Hines, John W. Cowen, and William McLellan, the progenitor of the numerous people of that name living in the Bowling Green neighborhood.

Besides the Yazoo and Big Black rivers above mentioned, which wash the borders of the county, it is well watered by numerous tributaries of these rivers and several lakes-Tchula, Bee, Horse- shoe, Clear and Pinchback. Transportation is afforded by the rivers and by two lines of the Illinois Central R. R., which traverse it from north to south, and by the Yazoo branch running east and west, from Durant to Tchula. The soil is black and loamy on the bottoms, and black and sandy on the uplands. It produces abun- dant crops of corn, cotton, oats, wheat, field peas, millet, sugar cane, sorghum, and grasses, and the Louisiana ribbon cane. Much atten- tion is paid to the raising of fruits, such as peaches, pears, early apples, figs, plums, and strawberries, which do well and are shipped north in considerable quantities. The fruit farming is along the main line of the Illinois Central R. R. The timber resources are valuable, consisting of oak, pine, walnut, poplar, ash, hickory, gum and cypress. Manufactures have developed to some extent, but the wealth of the region is in its rich soil and abundant crops.

The following data, taken from the twelfth United States census for 1900, showed that there were in the county 5,145 farms, embrac- ing an acreage of 359,859, of which 203,480 were improved ; the value of the land exclusive of buildings was $2,902,600, value of the build- ings $880,120, value of the live stock $904,285 and the value of all products not fed to stock $2,287,731. The number of manufacturing establishments was 57, capital $270,930, wages paid $43,646, value of materials used $118,334 and total value of products $256,369. The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in the county in 1905 was $5,363,546 and in 1906 it was $5,824,747.50, which shows an increase during the year of $461,201.50. The population of the county in 1900 consisted of 8,120 whites, 28,708 colored, a total of 36,828 and an increase of 5,858 over the year 1890. The population in 1906 was estimated at about 35,000. The road system of the county is excellent and all roads are worked by contract. The county has five bridges that span the Big Black river, and afford ample facilities for reaching Attala county and the east.

Holmes, David, last Territorial and first State governor, was the son of Col. Joseph Holmes, of Pennsylvania, a native of the north of Ireland, who served in the revolutionary army as com-

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missary. Joseph Holmes married a daughter of Col. David Hun- ter, of Berkley county, Va., and after the birth of two children, they moved to Winchester to reside. The eldest son was Hugh Holmes, a distinguished lawyer, speaker of the house of delegates and for 25 years a judge of the general court of Virginia. The son younger than David was Maj. A. Hunter Holmes, who fell at Fort Mackinac in 1813. Gov. Holmes was born in Frederick county, Va., March 10, 1769. He received a classical education, studied law and was admitted to the bar, held several local offices, and was elected a representative from Virginia to the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth congresses, 1797 to 1809. "His district was composed of the famous counties of Rockingham and Shen- andoah, usually called the Tenth Legion of Virginia." His ap- pointment as governor of the Mississippi territory was confirmed March 4, 1809, and he ably performed the duties of the office dur- ing the important periods of the war of 1812-15 and the agitation of statehood. His coming to the Territory brought many of his relatives and friends, including the Thurstons, Dangerfields, Gil- darts, Conrads, Starkes and Nortons. He was the presiding officer of the constitutional convention of 1817, was elected first governor of the State and served 1817-19, and was unanimously elected in 1820 United States senator to succeed Walter Leake, resigned, and for a term of six years from March 4, 1822. He served from Nov. 13, 1820 until the recess of 1825, when he resigned to again become a candidate for governor. He was elected by a large ma- jority in August, and was inaugurated in January, 1826. But, in the following summer, his health had so far failed that he was compelled to resign. This terminated a service as chief magistrate, territorial and State, of 11 years and one month. It was said by, his successor, Gov. Brandon, "Talents, experience and patriotism abundantly qualified him for the high station which he filled, and the confidence universally reposed in him rendered and would have continued to render his exertions for the prosperity and wel- fare of the State universally availing. Under such circumstances, therefore, the loss of his services will be seriously felt, and as we respect and admire the man, we cannot but sympathize with him in the affliction which made his resignation indispensable." Gov. Holmes returned to his old home at Winchester, Va., in 1827, and after five years of suffering died Aug. 20, 1832. Sept. 7 the consti- tutional convention resolved that its members wear crape on the left arm during the remainder of the session. The historian Clai- borne says of him: "He discharged his executive duties with ability, firmness and tact. He assuaged the violence of party by the suavity of his manners, the blandness of his temper, and his inflexible official and personal integrity. He had no enemies." It may be said of Gov. Holmes with perfect justice that he served with a greater measure of success than any of the governors of Mississippi Territory.

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Holmes' Administration, State. Under the provisions of the schedule adopted by the constitutional convention of 1817 for changing the form of government, the president of the convention (Governor Holmes,) issued writs for an election to be held in each county, on the first Monday and the day following in Septem- ber, 1817. At this election every free white male person, above the age of 21 years, a citizen of the United States, and a resident in the State when the constitution was adopted, was entitled to vote. The only offices to be filled by this election, and the officers elected, were as follows: Governor, David Holmes; Lieutenant- Governor, Duncan Stewart; Representative in Congress, George Poindexter, and a general assembly composed of 8 senators and 23 representatives. (See Legislature, State.) About the same time as the election Natchez was attacked by the yellow fever, which spread through the river towns of the Southwest that year, causing many deaths and great distress. Gov. Holmes, by proclamation, called the legislature to meet at Washington in place of Natchez. It convened Oct. 6, and next day the election returns were can- vassed, and Gov. Holmes was sworn in by Edward Turner, justice of the peace, in the presence of both houses. He addressed the body, calling attention to the great responsibilities falling upon it, to provide the first laws for the new State, establish courts, ap- point judges, create a militia system and provide for the finances of the commonwealth.

In passing from the Territorial to the State governorship, Mr. Holmes suffered a great diminution of powers. His successor said of it, "Our constitution has wisely limited the power of this department within specified and defined limits, comprehending lit- tle more than a participation in legislation, and the right to extend pardon to unfortunate offenders against the penal laws of the State." He no longer had the appointment of officers, from jus- tice of the peace to treasurer-general. This was all transferred to the legislature, except that the people might choose their county sheriffs and financial officers. The governor no longer had an ab- solute veto, but he might, by objections to any bill, require it to obtain the approval of two-thirds of both houses.

The constitution provided for the election by the legislature of all State officers except ,governor and lieutenant-governor. The choice of the first legislature was Daniel Williams, secretary of state ; Samuel Brooks, treasurer; John R. Girault, auditor, (Joseph Semple receiving a minority vote.) Upon the death of Samuel Brooks, the legislature balloted Jan. 27, 1818, with the following result, Peter P. Schuyler (formerly an officer of the United States army at Fort Stoddert) 17, Joseph Semple 5, Micajah Terrell 4, Woodson Wren 4. The term of all State executive officers was two years.

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 93

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association Number of Pages: 1030

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1030